ANN MILNE
In a competitive career spanning almost twenty years, Ann Milne has won every major Championship in North America, Scotland and Australia including: 4 Worlds, 12 Canadians, 13 Ontarios. Ann has trained many successful dancers. Her student's accomplishments include Ontario, Canadian, North American and Scottish Championships. Ann has extensive training in classical Ballet and Jazz. She is an award-winning Choreographer and is the Artistic Director of the performing group Celtic Accent. Ann has performed and taught workshops in Canada, USA, Australia and Japan. Ann is an Examiner for the British Association of Teachers of Dance and is on the Judges' Panel of the Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing.
- CELTIC ACCENT
For over ten years, Celtic Accent has been delighting audiences with a unique and beautiful blend of traditional, contemporary and modern dance.
In May of 1997, Ann Milne assembled an unprecedented company of seven World Champion Highland Dancers. Only a few months later they collaborated with the World Champion 78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band to produce the stirring 'Flame of Wrath' video in Chicago. Building upon this impressive foundation, Celtic Accent has evolved into today's company of talented and dedicated performers.
Celtic Accent is well traveled having performed in Canada, the United States, Ireland and Scotland. While in Ireland, in 1998, they were the subjects of a BBC recording. In May of 2003, the group opened a new production called 'Seanchaidh' in Springfield, Illinios. They went on to perform this production at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow, in Charleston, South Carolina and at the Winspear Centre in Edmonton. In November 2007 they brought their show home to the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga.
Ann strives to weave strands of Scottish history, culture, tradition and folklore into the company's works. Together, Celtic Accent hopes to raise the public's awareness and appreciation for the celebrated art of Highland Dance.
REBECCA FORD - Dance Instructor
Rebecca is very proud to be teaching Highland dance once again in Owen Sound at the Ann Milne School of Dance. She has had extensive training in such disciplines as Highland, Ballet, Modern and Irish dance. She received her Elementary Certificate with the Royal Academy of Dance for Ballet, and also had a successful competitive career in both Highland and Irish dance. She has had the opportunity to participate in many large scale dance productions in the Owen Sound area. As a teacher Rebecca received her Associates Certificate with the British Association of Teachers of Dance, and taught both Highland and Irish dance.
Kristin Leis - Dance Instructor
Miss Kristin Leis started dancing at the age of 3, she has studied in the disciplines of Jazz, Ballet, Modern, Tap and Pointe. For the past 4 years she has been with the Ann Milne School of dance, where she has put her emphasis on Ballet, Pointe, Modern and Jazz, and has also been studying highland dance . Kristin has been involved in numerous productions including both " dancing for Life " productions in which over $ 80,000.00 was raised for the community.
Kristin spent 3 months in France, while there she continued her Ballet studies at the studio of "Espace Danse Nicloe Legoux", owned by Nicloe Legoux, formerly of the National de l'Opera de Paris.
Kristin also recently returned from Poland where she competed with the Canadian National Dance Team, at the World Championships in Mikolajki Poland. She studied Ballet with Alex Wong, choreographer for the Canadian Ballet Team, and studied Jazz and Modern with Kim O'Neill and Jacques Monfistin ,and Linda Garneau.
There she competed with the senior Ballet , Jazz, and Modern teams, they successfully won the gold World Cup in Ballet, Bronze in Jazz, and a 5th placement for Modern.
Kristin continues to expand her studies year round at the Ann Milne School of Dance.
Kristin is pleased to be teaching Classical Ballet and Modern for session two.
Jena Haylow - Dance Instructor
Jena Haylow began her dance career at the age of five years old and has extensive training in both classical ballet and highland dancing. Jena has the distinction of having been accepted into the summer program at the National Ballet School Of Canada where she trained for two consecutive years. She has also had a successful competitive highland dance career, winning premier competitions across Ontario. Jena recently attained her teaching qualifications in dance with the British Association of Teachers of Dancing (BATD). She is currently attending Westhill Secondary School and is delighted to be joining the staff of fully qualified dance instructors at the Ann Milne School of Dance.
Jennifer MacKinnon - Dance Instructor
Jennifer began her training in Highland dance at the age of 3. Now 14 years later, she has expanded her variety of disciplines and is honoured to now be a part of the staff at The Ann Milne School of Dance. This fall she is pleased to be teaching competitive and recreational Highland dance.
With a competitive career spanning almost 13 years, highland dance has given her many opportunities to travel all across North America to compete. Winning numerous competitions throughout the country, including 3rd in North America for solo choreography at the Sadie Simpson Memorial Scholarships in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Along with these accomplishments, she has completed all amateur Highland dance and theory exams with the BATD and has recently passed her Associate Teacher's exam in Highland dance with the BATD. (British Association Teachers of Dancing). She continues to compete regularly and is excited to have the opportunity to watch her students get involved in the joy of competing as well.
Jennifer is also extensively trained in other disciplines such as: Ballet (R.A.D, Chechetti and Vaganova), Modern (Martha Graham and Limon Techniques), Jazz, Classical Jazz, Tap and Hip Hop. She has been involved in numerous dance productions, including "Dancing For Life and Dancing For Life....Because you can."
Jennifer's passion for dance has also led her toward performing and being on the stage. She is a member of both the Owen Sound Little Theatre and the Youth Theatre Coalition here in Owen Sound. With numerous stage credits including 1st Witch in OSLT's production of Macbeth, The Ugly Stepsister "Grace" in the YTC's production of Cinderella and the "Rose" in her high school's production of Beauty and The Beast. She continues to performing her best at every chance she gets and wishes to study in Performing Arts in her post-secondary education.
Jennifer would like to thank Ann Milne for this opportunity and allowing her to grow as a dancer at her studio.
Breanna Armstrong - Dance Instructor
Breanna Armstrong has trained extensively in Highland Dancing competing in Canada, The United States, Scotland and Australia. Breanna is an honour student in Highland dance theory being nominated for the B.A.T.D. North American Scholarships numerous times. She has also trained in classical ballet studying the Cecchetti method and recently the Russian method of Vagonova. She has also studied the Graham and Limon techniques for modern dance.
Breanna has been an assistant teacher for 3 years and will be eligible to take her associate teachers exam next year. She is pleased to be working with the preschool classes preparing young dancers for their first level dance exam.
